Quiet sounds from the mountainside occasionally drifted into the peaceful courtyard. Inside the room, Hong Ti had already stood up as Ning Yi pushed the door open. She and the old man had been discussing matters, and she had hoped that Ning Yi would, out of courtesy, quietly listen outside. She never expected him to knock and enter uninvited. Glaring at Hong Ti, Ning Yi said to Liang Bingfu, "Grandpa Liang, sorry to interrupt."

Liang Bingfu smiled and said, "Liheng, come, sit down." Ning Yi went over and sat in the seat next to Hong Ti, who turned and walked to the side of the table, her expression complex.

Although he had invited Ning Yi to sit, the old man looked at Ning Yi, then at Hong Ti, unsure what to say for a moment. Ning Yi sat humbly, paused briefly, then turned to Liang Bingfu and got straight to the point.

"Regardless, Grandpa Liang, my relationship with Hong Ti as master and disciple is just a joke. We all know this in our hearts, and that's all that matters."

In this society, ethical principles were still extremely important. Liang Bingfu was a Confucian scholar, but even people in the mountains highly valued the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues. Of course, not everyone was completely inflexible. What Liang Bingfu cared about was that the two did have a master-disciple relationship, but the true master-disciple relationship was, in reality, somewhat subtle. Ning Yi was able to immediately define the matter, so he nodded with a smile, treating it as an established fact, and slowly began to speak.

"Of course, that's how it is. We can't just let that Cult Leader Lin say whatever he wants. But public opinion is a powerful thing, and many influential figures can't avoid its consequences. Liheng must be mentally prepared."

"I'm here to talk to you about that, Grandpa Liang." Ning Yi glanced at Hong Ti. "To be honest, Grandpa Liang, I know all about rumors. Like you said, we can't let Lin Echan say whatever he wants. Frankly, if he wants to spread rumors, it might have some impact on me, but it won't be a big one. Among those who are willing to listen to my explanation, this master-disciple relationship won't hold water. There's no ceremony, no authoritative guarantor. He says someone heard Hong Ti say something. Can he find anyone to testify? And for those who aren't willing to listen to an explanation, rumors don't need explaining. The more you explain, the more trouble you'll cause."

Liang Bingfu nodded. "Then... what about those who aren't willing to listen to an explanation, Liheng?"

"Baseless accusations are just that, baseless. It's like suddenly someone jumping out and saying that the current prime minister and his wife are master and disciple. What would happen?" Ning Yi laughed. "Of course, there's skill involved in spreading rumors. Let's say Lin Zongwu really wants to stir up this public opinion. We're not afraid of him. First of all, I'm not as famous as him. Secondly, the Great Brightness Sect's propaganda power is actually not as good as mine. I have more than seventy storytellers working for me now."

"Hmm?" Liang Bingfu frowned.

"Furthermore, the Bamboo Sign will expand. That number will increase. At least near the capital, the Bamboo Sign's carts go to a town or village every day, and there are many people who come to listen to the storytelling. In the coming months, everyone will start talking about the ranking of martial arts experts, and the martial arts stories I told Hong Ti before. As long as I give the order, the rumor that Great Brightness Sect Leader Lin Zongwu rapes a sow every day will be known to everyone within a few hundred miles of the capital in half a month."

At this point, Hong Ti chuckled beside him but ultimately composed herself, remaining wary of Ning Yi. Liang Bingfu thought about it and became interested in the Bamboo Sign's operations, asking a few questions. Ning Yi explained the entire structure in detail, especially regarding gathering crowds and spreading propaganda.

"...Given enough time, I can actually spread most of the rumors myself. And even if Lin Zongwu wants to disgust me by saying the name Ning Yi, the average person won't know who I am. On the contrary, I can expose his entire background... Of course, I don't want to spread these minor rumors before we tear each other apart. Against this level of expert, you either kill them in one blow, or you can't move rashly. And of course, to kill them, Hong Ti has to help too..."

He looked at Hong Ti and sighed. "You came to Grandpa Liang as soon as you were injured like this. I know what you're worried about. I've said everything I need to say in front of Grandpa Liang. Tell me everything you're thinking, and then go rest, okay?"

Liang Bingfu leaned on his cane, also looking at her. Hong Ti blinked, her expression quite complex. When Ning Yi reached out to pull her, she took a step back to avoid him.

"I know your personality, I know your abilities, and I also know... that you're always good with words. I haven't thought this through yet. I always feel..."

The matter ultimately concerned Ning Yi's foundation, and Hong Ti could tell what was important. She hesitated, and Ning Yi frowned and stood up. "Think your sister ah think..." He walked over in two steps and reached out to grab Hong Ti's hand. Hong Ti wanted to retreat, but ultimately because Liang Bingfu was in the room, she couldn't turn around and run. In the end, Ning Yi grabbed her left arm, which was covered in bandages. Due to the pain, she frowned slightly.

"You feel the pain." Ning Yi poked her bandage twice with his finger. Because it was in front of Liang Bingfu, Hong Ti was extremely embarrassed. Ning Yi pulled her along. "Well... Grandpa Liang, I'll take her to rest first. If there's anything else, I'll explain it to her. Grandpa Liang, you can call me if you need anything."

Liang Bingfu smiled and nodded repeatedly, walking the two to the door before saying, "Hey, don't bully her."

Ning Yi grinned and pulled Hong Ti all the way back to the room. As he stepped over the threshold, he kicked the door shut with his foot. Then he turned around, put one hand under Hong Ti's thighs, and picked her up in one swoop. Hong Ti struggled for a moment at this sudden princess carry, her eyes confused, but she ultimately didn't use her martial arts around Ning Yi. "Liheng... you, you... you can't..."

"Don't worry, I'm just letting you rest." After Ning Yi said this, Hong Ti quieted down a little, then heard him say, "However, you forgot what you promised me about lying to me yesterday?"

"I didn't lie to you..."

As she spoke, Ning Yi placed her on the bed and reached out to pull the belt of her long dress. Feeling that Ning Yi seemed to want to take off her skirt, Hong Ti subconsciously reached out to stop him, then "slap," a sound rang out. Ning Yi slapped her most sensitive area. A few days ago, when Ning Yi hugged and kissed her, his hands naturally touched her buttocks, breasts, and other places, but that was intimacy between lovers. Now, with emphasis on etiquette and rules, and with the identity of "master" still lingering in her mind, Hong Ti's body suddenly shrank at Ning Yi's audacity, and she was a little dazed.

The woman on the bed was already tall. Now that she was lying down, wearing a long dress, her figure appeared slender. After she turned her body over at this moment, Ning Yi's figure also leaned down. The two were not far apart. Ning Yi was almost pressing on her, but he ultimately stopped. Hong Ti felt his gaze sweeping over her, from her cheeks and neck to her breasts below. But his gaze was complex, not frivolous, but rather troubled.

"Okay..." he said softly, "Since you won't let me take it off today, I'll have a chance to get it back when we get married anyway."

"You... I..."

Hong Ti's lips opened. Ning Yi lowered his head and closed his eyes. "You know... It's okay to have things on your mind. It's okay to think a lot. Don't run around by yourself. And don't run off to trade your serious injuries for Lin Zongwu's life on impulse. You know... I'll worry about you too."

"I..." Hong Ti wanted to reach out and hug him, but in the end, she just raised her hands slightly, and defended in a very low voice, "I didn't..."

"Heh." Ning Yi was silent for a long time, opened his eyes, and smiled. He pulled a thin blanket from the side to cover Hong Ti, and then sat down beside Hong Ti, leaning against her. Hong Ti lay in the blanket, her thoughts still a little chaotic. Ning Yi held one of her hands. The candlelight in the room flickered, becoming quiet in the silence between the two.

"Actually, I think that things in the world, as long as they can be said, won't be too big." After a while, Ning Yi said softly, "But if you don't tell me, and keep things hidden in your heart, there are some things I won't know what to do. So I'm also very worried that when you can't figure something out, you'll suddenly run away, or run to Lin Echan to fight."

"...I can't argue with you." Hong Ti squeezed his palm and said softly.

"So just listen to me. I think what I'm saying is still very persuasive." Ning Yi smiled. "I came to Mount Lüliang for you, not for anyone else. To come find you, to marry you, and by the way, to make Mount Lüliang a little better, to make you happy. These are all the follow-up. With you, everything is there. Without you, why would I run to Lüliang? I want this world to be a little better, but essentially, I can be a very cold-blooded person. Even if I'm a little bad, I can get by. If thousands of people I don't know die, I can still eat... This is only related to what I said before, what can make you happy? You tell me, I'll get it in my hands, tie a bow on it, and deliver it to you. That's it."

He opened Hong Ti's palm, and then gently held it. The light in the room was calm, only making faint sounds occasionally. Hong Ti turned to the side, putting her gaze into the shadows.

"I know you're doing it for my good by worrying about the master-disciple thing. But I know what's more important. It doesn't matter if you think about it in your heart. If you run away or hide for my sake, then you'll really be falling into Lin Zongwu's trap. A lot of things I've done will be meaningless. It's like when masters fight each other, it can take a long time to determine the outcome, or it can be very fast. Tonight, when I felt that the changes would be very fast, I was really worried."

Hong Ti took a breath and said in a low voice in the shadows, "I just want... our marriage, don't make a big fuss..."

"...Okay, then let's make it smaller." Ning Yi paused, then smiled slightly. "Have a meal, just invite a few people around. If you think that's good, then we'll do it that way. Anyway... we're the ones getting married, let the people we know get together. Actually, now that I think about it... I think I already said it... I like the feeling of you being my master."

"I don't want to be your master."

"When I asked you to teach me martial arts before, I kowtowed to you three times, bowing to your martial skills. Like you said, I also taught you things. You are my master, and not my master. As cutting and polishing, as carving and grinding, also a teacher and a friend... what should this be called as a partner..."

Hong Ti repeated the words "as cutting and polishing, as carving and grinding" in a low voice. The two fingers were intertwined, holding each other. Ning Yi said, "You're injured today, aren't you going to sleep?"

Hong Ti said, "I'm going to sleep soon..."

"Remember the story I told you in Jiangning? The martial arts story."

"Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils."

"Let me tell you another one... one with a master-disciple relationship, also a master-disciple story, but you need to go to sleep quickly, we can tell it slowly..."

Hong Ti squeezed his hand.

"The beginning of this story is on a dark and windy night... I don't know why it's on a dark and windy night, but the beginning of a story always needs to be on a dark and windy night... Our protagonist..."

The light on the candle flickered, a story like a whisper, warm and peaceful. In the room, the story had only just begun, and Hong Ti quietly fell asleep. Ning Yi sat by the bed, holding her hand, looking at the outline of her face as she slept. She was close to him, her body as if confirming his existence, feeling his warmth. On that profile, there were actually traces of wind and frost, and hardship. No matter how strong her martial arts were, no matter how fierce she was to outsiders, inside this body, there was only a single soul.

Just looking at this sleeping profile, Ning Yi could see many things. He knew that she had gone hungry, experienced cold winds, faced life-and-death challenges, experienced the baptism of knives and guns on the boundary between life and death, endured the polishing of hardship and sadness, seen the death of loved ones, and crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood again and again. In these twenty-odd years, what the woman had experienced and seen was the most cruel world that Ning Yi could know. Sometimes he even saw the appearance of Fu Duanyun on her. But only in this most cruel world could such a warm and cherished sleeping face be born...

There is nothing more precious than a beautiful soul...

He sat by the bed, quietly watching her, until the candle burned out, and faint starlight seeped in from outside the window, allowing him to see the sleeping outline of the woman. As the night deepened and the noise from the bottom of the mountain became more intense, he leaned down, hugged her, kissed her forehead, and got up and went out.

There was a noisy sound coming towards this side. The battle was probably over, and the people coming back began to go up the mountain. Ning Yi walked out, watching the torches spreading upwards below. Everyone up and down the mountain was probably paying attention to this great battle, causing the houses in the valley to also have scattered lights. However, at first glance, the formation of the people returning in the valley below was loose and chaotic. It was difficult to see the lineup. The small leaders ran around, their shouts frantic. It seemed that many people had left the team and couldn't be found. Far away, the Third Chief Cao Qianyong seemed to be cursing as well. Everything seemed intriguing.

So, did they win or lose... Since neither seemed to be the case, Ning Yi's heart was entangled for a moment...